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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — of water
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spell — letters
  9. club — for dancing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. club — a group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com